Page 10 - Teaching Principles and Methods Student Textbook short

Teachers who have taught for some time tend to do the same thing. They will use the same plan, the
same methods, the same presentation over and over again. If they like to lecture, that’s pretty much
what you can expect each week. If they like to ask questions, well, every week more questions.
Repeating the same methods tends to make your class presentation boring and lifeless.

School classes tend to be this way. Students can pretty much expect what is going to happen during any
class period. This is a plague that teachers have to resist.

One day in math class I decided to do something different. We were learning about interest payments,
finances, obtaining automobile loans, etc. Typically we would learn all the facets of these financial
transactions by reading about them in our textbook. But I decided to take the class down to an
automobile car lot and had each student select a car they wanted to purchase. Then the students sat
down with the lending officer and they filled out the loan agreement. We used fake money to make the
purchase. They learned that by financing a car, they would pay thousands of dollars more for the car
than if they saved up and purchased the car for cash. Of course, I had prearranged all this with a friend
at a dealer. But the class really enjoyed the experience and believe me, they will never forget the
information they learned in the process.

Great teachers will use a lot of methods and build variety into to their presentations. Their class will
never know what is going to happen next. Some methods can detract from a lesson. But a great
teacher will use each method to bring the truth of Scripture to bear on the hearts of their class.

Later in this study, we will learn multiple methods of presentations that a great teacher will utilize to
make their lessons fresh and enjoyable.

6. Bath your teaching event with prayer

Prayer is one of the most important things a teacher can do. It is a time you are
communicating with God and it should be taken very seriously. While there is deep
theological meaning in prayer, it doesn’t have to be something that is complicated and
difficult. It’s something anyone can do anywhere at any time.

I have been teaching the Bible for over 50 years. I have taught literally hundreds of lessons.
Some of them, I taught. Some of them the Holy Spirit taught and used me as a teaching
instrument. The lessons that changed hearts were the latter. I have discovered that if I spend time with
God in prayer, the Holy Spirit moves through the lessons into the hearts of the students. Otherwise, my
lessons fall on deaf ears.

Satan does not want your class to “hear” God’s Word. They might respond in obedience. So Satan will
do what he can to distract your class to prevent them from hearing. Sometimes we forget just how
powerful prayer is. We aren’t fighting against something imaginary. Our prayers are fighting against
spiritual battles that linger in dark places.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms.

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